Adding fruit to cereal

Having cereal is also a good opportunity to get some fruit in the diet. Raisins, dried apricots, bananas and strawberries are popular choices and can be added to any cereal, depending on your tastes.

"Adding fruit to cereals is a great way to get kids to eat more fruit," says Govindji. "It also helps them enjoy less sugary cereals, as you get sweetness from the fruit."

You could wash down breakfast with a small glass (150ml) of 100% fruit juice, which also counts towards your 5 A DAY.

How many calories should breakfast provide?

A helpful rule of thumb to maintain a healthy weight is to follow the 400-600-600 approach.

That means having about:

400kcal for breakfast (including any drinks and accompaniments)

600kcal for lunch (including any drinks and accompaniments)

600kcal for dinner (including any drinks and accompaniments)

That leaves you with just enough left over to enjoy a few healthy drinks and snacks throughout the day. This advice is based on a woman's daily recommended calorie intake of 2,000kcal.

"You might get about 150kcal from a 40g serving of cereal," says Govindji. "You could add a medium sliced banana and 200ml of semi-skimmed milk, which altogether would provide about 350kcals.

"You need fuel in the morning, and starting the day with a filling breakfast can help you avoid reaching for a less healthy mid-morning snack to keep you going until lunch."

'My child is hooked on sugary cereals'

If you want to get your child off sugary cereals, Govindji recommends mixing sugary cereals with similar looking lower-sugar ones.

You could then gradually increase the amount of lower-sugar cereal over time to get kids used to them. Or you could let your child pick from a selection of, say, three healthier cereals.

"The fact that your child wants to have breakfast is already a healthy habit," says Govindji. "You don't want to jeopardise that by making breakfast seem suddenly unappealing."

'I don't have time to sit down for breakfast'

It's a sign of the times that people are increasingly abandoning breakfast cereals, one of the earliest convenience foods, for more convenient "on-the-go" options, such as a breakfast muffin and a latte.

If you're short on time in the morning, how about setting the table the night before? You could also grab a pot of porridge on your way to work or have your cereal when you get in.

"Cereals are still one of the best value breakfasts out there," says Govindji. "A bowl of fortified breakfast cereal with milk gives you more nutrients for your penny when compared with most on-the-go breakfast options."

No time for breakfast? Let yourself be tempted by our simple breakfasts designed to whet the appetite of even the most habitual breakfast skipper.